Back in the old days of yoga assists were called corrections. The idea was that the student was doing something wrong and the teacher could manipulate the wrongness away. Later came the word adjustment, which is a little better, conveying the student is on the right track and some adjustments are needed.In this book, world renowned Jivamukti Yoga practitioners Sharon Gannon and David Life use the word assist to communicate the idea that in yoga there are actually two beings interacting together on various levels of consciousness to foster a decrease in avidya, mis-knowing, and an increase in vidya, or the knowing principle.A yoga assist then, is action taken in a microcosmic relationship that reveals macrocosmic truths. It is action undertaken in mutuality with the best of intentions and the blessing of the teacher''s teachers.The giving of yoga is an art. Yoga assists are not static; they comprise a flowing dance of body, breath, and energy. They are based on continuous focus and awareness of the relationship between partners in the process. It takes two to Tango! As in Tango, in each encounter with yoga student and teacher there is an equation of reciprocity. Whether we receive or give an assist is an active process in the resolution of a relationship, a transmission, a dance. In this sense, the relationship between teacher and student is a microcosm of the flowing inter-relation among all people, all species, all living beings.Through this book, with the assistance of Sharon and David, practitioners will deepen their understanding of the fundamental principles of yoga assists and apply them in practice and in service to others.
This book is filled with great information, but don't purchase the Kindle edition. I don't know if the plan is to update it, but there are errors regarding the physical layout. Most concerning and disappointing are the directional pictures. They seem to be amazing but unfortunately are too small to relate the necessary information properly. I find myself squinting and trying to tell arrows from lines and finally just give up. I wish I held out and purchased the hard copy book. My loss.
This might appear to be a book just for yoga teachers, but it is much more. The illustrations of the yoga assists include diagrams of the energetic pathways that the asana is aligned to. A beginner can look at these illustrations and have a new insight about what they should experience in the asanas. Both teachers and students alike...take a look inside!The big type in the print book lets you put the book on the floor next to where you are working and still read each assist.The IBook enhanced version has vi..
Way too intense of adjustments for my students. Definitely for the ultra-flexible, experienced practitioners. Also the photos with all the arrows and whatnot -- too clunky and distracting for me.
